Overview:

This report is part of a series of market monitor reports which track the mobile handset market: Smartphone and Feature Phone shipments every quarter for more than 140 brands covering more than 97% of the total device shipments in the industry.

The deliverable includes

• Single pivot format giving in-depth analysis of global markets
• 140+ brands now in comparison to 95 brands earlier
• Break out of key countries in each region to give a further granular view of the regions
• 18 countries view as compared to six earlier
• More visuals and analysis by country and by regions

To quickly summarize:

• The global smartphone market declined by 7% YoY in Q2 2026 as the memory shortage deepened and memory prices continue to rise. However  some OEMs frontloaded shipments in anticipation of further component price hikes and logistics cost escalation, resulting in a milder-than-expected market decline.
• Developed regions showed more resilience against ongoing crisis due to more exposure to premium segment as they are better positioned to absorb component inflation. NAM (North America) was the only region to witness 6% YoY growth as to high premium penetration and carrier-led financing provided OEMs greater pricing flexibility. Even Western Europe also remained stable as it registered just 1% YoY decline.
• Emerging markets with a heavier entry-to-mid-tier mix are facing greater pressure as higher memory costs translate more directly into higher device prices and weaker volumes.
• Asia Pacific region declined by 7% YoY amid cost pressures. India witnessed 11% YoY decline and lowest Q2 in six years as both demand and supply were adversely affected due to record memory prices.
• China’s smartphone shipments declined 1% YoY in Q2 2026, as rising memory costs prompted OEMs to adopt more conservative production plans and prioritize higher-margin models.
• Developed markets like Japan and Korea also remained relatively insulated from the ongoing memory crisis, supported by their higher share of premium smartphone. Korea grew 3% YoY driven by strong promotions in June and low base in Q2 2025. Japan declined just by 1% YoY after growing for 2 years.
• MEA (Middle East & Africa) smartphone market declined by 10% YoY in Q2 2026 driven by shift in Islamic calendar which shifted all occasions to Q1 and memory crisis and shortage in entry tier further compounded this dip..

Published Date: Aug 2026